Photos of a Lifetime: Stunning Pics from the Top of Hudson Valley Bridges

Hundreds of feet above speeding traffic and an unforgiving river with a surface tension like concrete, one false move could mean death. For Dave Frieder, it's just another Saturday.

Hundreds of Feet Above the Hudson

Mr. Frieder has made it a life goal to scale the most impressive bridges in the world, and take breathtaking photos that us mere mortals might love looking at, but would be terrified to take ourselves. "I have no fear of heights", Frieder says, "but I don’t get cocky." Wearing a full-body harness and armed with upwards of 70 pounds of equipment, Dave Frieder has been to the top of nearly every bridge in New York state, including the George Washington Bridge, the Verrazzano Bridge, and even the Mid-Hudson and Bear Mountain bridges.

 From the Gymnastics Mat to the Mid-Hudson Bridge

The bridge climbs began in 1993, but how exactly does someone get into such a specific discipline? For Frieder, it was gymnastics.

"Gymnastics unknowingly trained me to crawl and hang all over the bridges... [and] how to manipulate myself within the bridges to get the best shot."

And when you take a look at some of the images he's captured, a background full of flexibility and acrobatics starts to make a lot of sense.

Wait, How Many Climbs?

Frieder estimates that he has made roughly 100 bridge climbs on 20 separate bridges, though one stands out as his favorite. "The George Washington Bridge, no question about it... [it's] a masterpiece of engineering. I like the Brooklyn Bridge too, everyone loves the Brooklyn Bridge, but I like steel better", he reflected.

It's rare to be able to not only find your life's passion, but to actually be able to pursue it. Not only has Frieder checked the majority of his favorite bridges off his to-climb list, but he also published a book pf his photography. The Magnificent Bridges of New York City is available on his website. Check out some more of his absolutely stunning (and dizzying) photos below.